COLUMBIA, S.C. — The South Carolina Human Affairs Commission says they have received an influx of calls from citizens who were laid off during the coronavirus.
While many of those calls were passed along to the State Department of Employment and Workforce, some detailed concerns of discrimination during layoffs amid the COVID19 pandemic.
Lee Ann Watson, attorney with the the Human Affairs Commission is encouraging people who feel they have been discriminated against, to reach out to her office.
"Let's say they let go one protected class instead of another, like they let go of all of the males, but kept all of the females," says Watson. "That's certainly something that our agency has protection over."
She says the Human Affairs Commission is waiting to hear if COVID19 will be considered a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
"That is something that we are keeping a close eye on," says Watson. "That's going to revolve around the ramifications of the particular condition and whether it's an ongoing situation for that person on a case by case basis. It's going to come down to whether or not that person has some lingering side effects related to COVID19, that impairs their life going forward."
People can file a claim with the SC Human Affairs Commission by emailing or calling the agency at (803)737-7800. Information can be found here.